ARRIVAL INFORMATION FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Dear Exchange Student:

Congratulations on being selected to participate in the exchange program at UNC Charlotte for the FALL 2008 semester. Please read this arrival information carefully, including important meeting dates for your first days at UNC Charlotte.
 

ARRIVAL IN U.S. AND UNC CHARLOTTE
Please return the ENCLOSED Arrival Information Form to give us your travel plans. Note that the residence halls do not officially open until Thursday, August 21st; however, if the enclosed Arrival Form is received by the ISSO by Monday, July 28th, special arrangements can be made for new international students with housing assignments to move-in on Tuesday, August 19th. Also, we can arrange for airport pick-up if you’d like.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION
This orientation is designed especially for students on F-1 & J-1 visas and you are expected to attend. We will provide general information, review immigration regulations and assist you with course registration.

VISA/TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
The visa status you will have while in the U.S. is J-1. The enclosed DS-2019 document is to be used to obtain your J-1 visa and as a travel document for entering the U.S.

Contact the nearest U.S. consulate to make an appointment for your visa interview as early as possible. One of the required documents will be evidence that you have paid the U.S. $100 SEVIS fee. Instructions for paying this fee can be found at https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml

IMMUNIZATIONS
Read the enclosed information on required immunizations. Bring or send an official record of any immunizations along with an English translation. NOTE: If you have not had the required immunizations, you will be required to get them at UNC Charlotte. The cost is approximately $10 per immunization. Failure to do this will result in the cancellation of your registration. More information can be found at http://www.healthsvcs.uncc.edu/required_immunizations.htm

REQUIRED HEALTH INSURANCE
All students will be automatically billed for the university’s health insurance plan unless they provide evidence of a comparable plan that has a U.S. carrier. Full details may be found at http://www.healthsvcs.uncc.edu/

YOUR UNIVERSITY STUDENT ID NUMBER is _________________________ and your 49er Express email address is: ___________________________ @uncc.edu Use this number & email address for all campus transactions including applying for campus housing.

CAMPUS HOUSING
If you are interested in campus housing you will need to apply at: https://nypublic.uncc.edu First you will need to activate your account using your Student ID number and your 49er Express email address. Then begin the application process following the instructions online. For further questions about housing, contact the Housing & Residence Life Office online at: www.housing.uncc.edu or call (704) 687-2585. If you experience difficulty logging onto 49er Express, send an email inquiry at http://www.labs.uncc.edu/magic/magic_help.cfm

In order to learn about all of the different housing options, go to http://www.housing.uncc.edu/assignments/asg_rates_2008_2009.htm. Please also understand that your housing request will be considered, however you may be given a different assignment based upon availability.

FOOD ON CAMPUS
The University food service has several meal plans. Information on the plans will be available during orientation. For more information consult the Dining Services website at http://www.auxiliary.uncc.edu/dining/diningservices.htm

ESTIMATED EXPENSES FOR FALL SEMESTER

Tuition $7,333 (if not on a tuition waiver program)
Room 1,532-2,350 (varies according to type of housing)
Meals 500-1,375 Variety of meal plans
Insurance 330
Books 500
Personal $1,160

Note: Disregard any housing bills received before arrival at UNC Charlotte even if there is an earlier due date listed.

MAIL/POST
The International Student/Scholar Office may be used as a temporary mailing address:
(Your name here)
International Student/Scholar Office, UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

UNC CHARLOTTE’S LOCATION AND CLIMATE
UNC Charlotte is located on the edge of Charlotte, a city of over 600,000 people. Its climate is mild with temperatures ranging from 75⁰F (25⁰C) in the summer to 45⁰F (7⁰C) in the winter. Some winter days are below freezing and there is occasional snow. Summer is quite humid and some days have temperatures above 90⁰F (32⁰C).

SEMESTER CALENDAR

International Orientation - August 20
First day of classes - August 25
Labor Day (no class) - September 1
Fall Break (no class) - October 13-14
Thanksgiving Holiday - November 27-28
Last class day - December 9
Final Examinations - December 7-14

Residence Hall students are to check out of their living space no later than 12 noon on December20th.

PERSONAL SECURITY
UNC Charlotte has its own police department and they work to help keep all students safe. There are emergency phones located all over campus and police are always available to assist students in trouble.

To view the statistics of crime rates at UNC Charlotte, go to http://www.police.uncc.edu/ then click on annual reports. For off-campus security statistics (in Charlotte) click on CMPD statistics.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Please contact our office at intlsso@uncc.edu; Phone (704) 687-7781; Fax: (704) 687-3168 or the e-mail addresses below. For evenings & weekends call (704) 568-6920. Also check out http://www.isso.uncc.edu/ for more information.


We look forward to meeting you in August!

Sincerely,

Marian Beane, Director
mebeane@uncc.edu

Denise V. Medeiros, Assistant Director
dvmedei@uncc.edu

Debbie Wilson, Administrative Assistant
dawilson@uncc.edu

Chau Tran, SEVIS Coordinator
cbtan@uncc.edu